January 2, 2013

Paranormal: Snowflake Girl Squad V #rlfblog

John Steiner, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let's talk about
your book, Snowflake Girl: book two of the Squad V series.

Genre: Paranormal, vampire, action, horror, intrigue, romance

Publisher: Mélange Books

Cover artist: Mae Powers

Length: 114,000

Heat rating: 3

Tagline:

Blurb: Life is tough for a single woman in a new city. Find an apartment,
pay bills, hunt for a job and dodge paramilitary vampire hunters. Cecilia Freeland
didn't ask for vampirism. All she did was fight to survive. But her life is forever
changed. Alienated from society and the law Cecilia has to stay ahead of Squad Five.

Interview

Tell us about your latest book,
including its genre. Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they?

I wanted the main character, Cecilia
Freeland to be defined as herself first and foremost, rather than half of a relationship.
Her story effectively is a true one save for the exaggeration of vampires and related
themes. That she was the victim of a physically penetrating attack and that body
fluids are involved is intended to capture real life traumas as horrific as any
mythical monster might inflict.

While watching the news it occurred
to me that certain rape victims were treated accordingly, and others handled as
if they were the criminals. Often this came down to the victim’s personal history,
income level and, often ethnicity. It struck me that many of these survivors are
attacked for having come through alive much less willing to demand justice be done
against the assailant. This novel is dedicated to them, who suffer in silence and
are told to be quiet when speaking out.

The Squad V series crisscrosses
several genres, including vampire, science fiction, military action, paranormal.
Snowflake Girl includes a side plot of romance, though its main theme is surviving
assault and coping with re-victimization by society and the law.

How do you come up with ideas?

News stories or general social
trends triggered much of what happens in the Squad V series. Also, I like to employ
real scientific concepts that I find interesting, even amazing. There’s also the
guilty pleasure of posing tough questions and challenging assumptions.

What is the single most important
part of writing for you?

To see the scene or whole story
in my head, and bring to readers what I think might be missing from a particular
genre.

What is the most important
thing you do for your career?

I let my mind wander and frequently.

What do you enjoy most about
writing?

Much of my work includes thought
experiments and the fusion of many ideas, including concepts people don’t normally
associate with each other.

What do you enjoy most about
life?

Just seeing how things in the
world turn out, and absorbing the bigger picture played out.

Where do you start when writing?
Research, plotting, outline, or...?

My research ranges from the scientific
basics, cultures, myths, vernaculars, career paths, government or military procedures
and real world social consequences. To lay out a plot I often have snapshots of
the story, and gauge from there how much transition is needed between them. Sometimes
I don’t have a planned ending until I get there in the written work.

What did you learn from writing
your first book?

Never restrict your writing to
a preconceived and rigid frame of what the story is. I often think of Schmendrick,
the Magician in The Last Unicorn. He is best described by his one line for casting
spells which is, “Magic, magic, do as you will.”

I can’t force the story out, and
so I’m subject to its timing, as if I’m just the universe’s stenographer.

Would you consider self publishing?

That struck me has being much
more work than going through a publishing house. You are doing the jobs of a whole
crew, including tasks that seemed to me requiring a lot of specialization. Marketing,
editing, software management, distributor, etc. It’s a daunting list of job descriptions
that make me appreciate what my publisher and her staff do.

How many hours a day to you
spend writing?

It could be all day, or not for
weeks on end. I’ve found that trying to stick to a fixed minimum of writing creates
unsatisfying results and often comes out all wrong with heaping servings of frustration.

If you could give the younger
version of yourself advice what would it be?

When I look back, I’m always glad
not to be in my past. That’s because I see the personal evolutions that led me to
being who I am, and some of the things I went through are best not repeated. I could
never guarantee the same outcome from those trying experiences.

Is your muse demanding?

If she’s there the muse becomes
the monkey on my back, sometimes thrusting a story onto me in a dream as I sleep.
If I stopped writing today I know that more stories would come through my dreams
and demand to be read by others.

Are your stories driven by
plot or character?

I try to do both and more. Circumstances
drive my characters until some take control of their situation. To me separating
plot from character is as inconceivable as cause from effect, and it’s hard to say
which is which.

John Steiner

How do you balance a life outside
of writing with deadlines and writing muses?

Like a boxing match. Everyone’s
got a plan until they’ve been hit. I’ve felt enough shots to the ribs from life’s
sucker punches that I pretty much expect something to come at me sideways when I’m
least prepared… often in combination. So I have to knock problems down one at a
time.

What is the craziest thing
you did as a kid, and would it ever end up in a book?

In my neighborhood breaking from
the accepted social and religious mode to discover who you are was crazy. I think
surviving everything and developing a sense of stoicism without discarding passionate
feelings about life’s injustices could drive one crazy if not properly balanced.
Bits and pieces of that are in every one of my books.

Crazy is my Tuesday morning.

What are some jobs you've done
that would end up in a book?

The U.S. Army, Retail and my current
job as a college tutor, albeit with a few tweaks to suit the characters I construct.

If I was a first time reader
of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?

Tampered Tales best represents
the spectrum of genres I enjoy most. Thirteen tales of science fiction, fantasy,
horror, comedy and one true life adventure.

What do you hope readers take
with them after reading your work?

I want them to be disturbed by
realism, but also to see the world with new eyes. I feel that if I haven’t challenged
a reader’s assumption or offend somebody then I haven’t done my job.

List two authors we would find
you reading when taking a break from your own writing.

Michael Crichton and Jared Diamond.
Michael Crichton researched his material so well a reader slips over from real history
and proven science into fiction before they realize it. Jared Diamond laid out the
strongest case for the determining factors in a society’s successes and failures.

What do you most crave would
come to fruition from fiction to reality?

I have a serious jones for spaceflight.
I’m not seeing enough of it in fiction or the news. The Curiosity Rover landing
on Mars did it for a day or two. But in my mind I was screaming, “Hey man! That
should be us up there, not some toaster! Reach for the stars, NASA, and teach us
to dream again!”

A biography has been written
about you. What do you think the title would be in six words or less?

All That and He’s Not Insane?

If money were not an object,
where would you most like to live?

Sh’yeah! Let the other shoe drop
and say there are no limits to our technology. I want my hot rod of the gods and
travel to other worlds!

What song would best describe
your life?

There’s more than one, but they’re
all by the same artist. Bruce Hornsby’s music did more to influence the person I
am today than just about any single experience I can imagine.

If you were a tool, what would
people use you to do?

Exceed the speed of light.

Picture yourself as a store.
Considering your personality and lifestyle, what type of products would be sold
there?

A whole department would be dedicated
to holding scientific instruments and books. Several isles would hold traditional
martial arts equipment. Next in line would be more isles to carry props and books
of mythology and philosophy. At least one or two isles for military surplus. There’s
always the need for a dressing room of self-discovery and contemplation that is
clearly visible but sound proof once inside. And, of course, the play area.

As a child, what was your favorite
thing about school?

Teachers who, often outside their
curriculum, made me think and see things in news ways.

Do you play any online, board,
or role-playing games? Which ones?

Starcraft II, Diablo III and,
on rare occasions, Warcraft III. However, I don’t often use their online playing
options, because a lot of those people are way too uptight and some are downright
nasty to new people.

If you came with a warning
label, what would it say?

The subjects herein may offend
some viewers. Contents include understanding the process of ancient and modern myth-making,
scientific principles and the methods by which they are discovered as well as an
attention to detail which immunizes one against political weasel-speak. Exhibits
class beta wolf pack properties. Do not victimize children, the elderly, sick or
the weak within sight or earshot of this item. Language is R-rated in homage to
George Carlin, the Patron Saint of the Seven Deadly Words You Can’t Say on Television.
Manufacturers of this product are not responsible for intellectual and philosophical
impact on those exposed to said product.

However… do break glass in case
of emergencies.

Please Fill in the Blanks

I love pizza with at least three meat toppings… it’s a wolf
thing.

I'm always ready for whaddya got, to borrow from Marlon Brando.

When I'm alone, I wander the universe in my head.

You'd never be able to tell, but I’m romantic in my own way.

If I had a halo it would be crooked,
but stable in its place.

If I could go anywhere I'd travel in person to the
worlds my dreams flew me to.

I can never go back to being religious because I’ve
seen the matrix code that produced them from the minds of man.

Previous Books

John Steiner

Squad V, Snowflake Girl, Tampered Tales

Books Coming Soon

Barer of the Ghost Nation, Fire Alive!, The Locust Effect, Bridging
the Lotus, Flipspace short story series.

Writing this story, I actually had a hard time working out the actions and motivations of Cecilia Freeland. I'm six foot, two and so I think nothing of walking into an unlit parking lot. At that point in the story I reminded myself of that fact and had to work out a whole new way of seeing and thinking.

I had an easier time drafting alien civilizations and their backgrounds than I did writing a realistic woman. However, devising a behavioral archetype allowed me to flush out Cecilia's personal and motivations. While feelings from trauma are similar to something I could relate to, I otherwise based her on a female leopard. Because of the other species of African wildlife, that gave me a solid framework from which I could figure out how Cecilia would handle a number of situations.

The last time I played Elder Scrolls it was the 1990's. I've seen where they've gone, and it's good. Just I'm a big fan of monks fighting bare-handed as well as other professions are with their weapons, and Elder Scrolls doesn't do that. However, it's cool you can have yourself turned into things.